Evaluation of Clinical and Pathological Factors to Predict High Risk of Recurrence in Patients With Stage II Colon Cancer

Background: The ability to predict patients with stage II colon cancer at high risk of recurrence is currently limited to certain clinicopathologic factors.

Patients and methods: This population-based study reviewed various prognostic factors to identify those associated with worse time to recurrence (TTR) and improved disease-specific survival (DSS), and to subsequently develop a prognostic index (PI) to identify high risk cancers.

Results: Multivariate analyses revealed factors significant for TTR and DSS. A PI derived from the TTR risk factors identified 3 risk groups using 5-year rate without relapse: 88% for low-risk, 81% for intermediate-risk, and 59% for high risk.

Conclusion: This model was better at identifying high risk patients than using equally weighted standard risk factors.